Thank you to Melanie Harlow and her team for the advance reader copy of Runaway Love, the first book in the Cherry Tree Harbor series.
I adored the beginning of this new series featuring a charming small town and a loving family. Runaway Love features a few tropes Melanie has executed so well in the past, including single dad and falling for the nanny. The tropes that make up Irresistible which is one of Mel’s best books.
I am a Melanie Harlow review team member, but I remain honest and genuine in my reviews.
Yes, I’m a single dad who needs a nanny for the summer.
But hire the stranded runaway bride who shows up on my doorstep in a wedding gown with no references, no skills, and no experience?
No one is that desperate.
Except within twenty-four hours, down-on-her-luck Veronica Sutton manages to charm my kids, my family, and half the population of Cherry Tree Harbor into believing she’s perfect for the job.
And for me.
It’s not that I can’t see the appeal–those baby blue eyes? The endless legs? That mouth made for trouble? But I’ve got enough on my plate, raising two kids on my own and keeping the family business alive. I don’t have the time or the inclination to fall for an outspoken city girl.
So I should have kept my hands to myself.
Holding her in my arms was a big mistake. Even worse? Spending the night together. She ignites a possessive fire in me that I’m finding hard to snuff out.
But the most unforgivable? Growing attached to the sound of her laugh, the scent of her skin, and the way her body wraps around mine in the dark.
At the end of the summer, she’ll be gone.
And if I’m not careful, she might run away with my heart.
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: We meet our heroine Veronica as she finds out her fiancè cheated on her, so she jilts him at the altar. I loved how this book featured her personal journey in re-discovering her independence. After being stifled by her ex, Veronica dawns her red lip again and breathes life into Austin and his entire family. Austin is our hero and he is a classic romance novel leading man. He is a single dad, who says he has no time for himself, to either explore setting up his own business, let alone go on a date. Austin has two adorable little kids, a boy and a girl. I wish they had a bit more time in the book, they did not capture my heart as much as other young kids have in past Melanie books such as Irresistible. Veronica and Austin are both very likeable characters, along with everyone else in this charming town.
- Setting: Cherry Tree Harbor is a new setting in the Melanie Harlow world! I adored everyone in this town, and how this may be the most gossip-filled town yet. The Buckley family from Austin to his brother, sister, father, and the two brothers we did not get to meet, this series has a lot of fodder and I cannot wait to see what story we get next.
- Pacing: This story just flew by and I finished it in like a day. The book takes place over the course of the summer, with one specific week holding great significance. So the pacing was super interesting
- Romance: Veronica and Austin had such a beautiful relationship that so many readers will love! They are super-steamy, thank god the twins went to visit their mother for a week so Austin and Veronica could come together. They are both bad about communicating their emotions not just to each other, but to themselves. They are what the other needed as Veronica needed someone to celebrate her without stifling her independence. While Austin needed the reminder it’s not selfish to love and want to spend life with someone by your side.
Runaway Love receives five out of five stars.
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Thank you again to Mel and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
